PANIC ATTACK OR HEART ATTACK? HOW CAN YOU TELL?

You feel “off.” Your chest hurts, your heart starts pounding and you get shaky. Your stomach is queasy and you are lightheaded and feel like you need to sit or lie down. Are you having a heart attack? Or is it a panic attack? In this article we’re covering the differences of heart attack vs panic attack.
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, a “Panic Attack” is defined as 4 or more of the following symptoms:
Heart palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate

Excessive sweating

Trembling or shaking

Sensations of shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, or smothering

Feeling of choking

Chest pain or discomfort

Nausea or abdominal distress

Feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded, or faint

Feelings of unreality or being detached from oneself

Fear of losing control or going crazy

Fear of dying

Numbness or tingling sensations (paresthesias)

Chills or hot flushes

Eerily, a lot of the same symptoms can be associated with a heart attack. Chest pain, sweating, shortness of breath, nausea, lightheadedness, numbness or tingling, and chills or hot flashes, can all be potential signs of a heart attack. So how do you know if it is your heart or your mind?

Without treatment, a heart attack can ultimately end in sudden cardiac arrest and death, so recognizing the symptoms is crucial. In cases of heart attack, symptoms are usually caused by an on-going condition and typically come on over time. Heart attacks can last minutes, hours, days or even weeks. The difference in chest pain is probably the most significant. While panic attack sufferers typically complain of a pounding, rapid heartbeat, a heart attack is characterized by a feeling of tightness and a crushing sensation. The “tingling” associated with a heart attack is actually more of a shooting pain and numbness on the left side of the body, usually down the left arm, while panic attack tingling can affect all extremities. Additional symptoms such as jaw or back pain have also been reported while someone is having a heart attack, but not during panic attacks.

Panic attacks come on sudden and intense and are usually situational. The symptoms rush the sufferer all at once, peak within about 10 minutes and then subside. While someone suffering a panic attack may have subsequent attacks, they come and go and rarely involve loss of consciousness. Panic attacks can be brought on by the feeling you may be having a heart attack, thereby compounding the situation.

If you have a combination of the above list of symptoms, see your doctor. Panic attacks can be treated with therapy, and symptoms can sometimesheart attack and panic attack be treated in the short term with medications. If your symptoms are related to cardiovascular issues, your doctor will discuss your options and may suggest lifestyle changes, medications or procedural intervention. In the case of both panic attack and heart attack, finding the cause can improve your quality of life and may, indeed, save your life. Never ignore your feelings when “something just isn’t right”.
Article taken from http://www.aedsuperstore.com